The U.S. Senate is poised to vote in early June on the confirmation of Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator, following a procedural move by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to advance the nomination.
Thune filed for cloture on May 22, paving the way for a full Senate vote after the chamber returns from the Memorial Day recess. The nomination was previously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on April 30 in a 19–9 vote, with support from both Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). Most Democrats on the panel, however, opposed the nomination.
Since the committee's approval, Isaacman has met with senators from states hosting major NASA facilities, including Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.). The meetings have come amid growing scrutiny of the White House's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which was released May 2 and calls for sweeping changes to NASA's priorities.
The proposed budget would cancel the lunar Gateway station, wind down the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) after Artemis 3, scale back International Space Station operations, and slash space technology funding by half. The agency's overall budget would be reduced by nearly 25%.
Although Isaacman has stated he was not involved in shaping the proposal, its contents have raised concerns among lawmakers. “The scale of the cuts surprised many, even if the direction was anticipated,” a Senate aide familiar with the matter said.
Industry leaders have urged the Senate to confirm Isaacman swiftly, arguing his leadership is essential amid a period of significant uncertainty at the agency. Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and commercial astronaut, would be the first of several key NASA leadership nominees to be confirmed.
Other nominations remain pending, including Matthew Anderson, a retired Air Force colonel tapped as deputy administrator on May 6, and Greg Autry, nominated in March to be chief financial officer. The role of NASA inspector general has been vacant since late 2023, and the White House has not yet named a nominee.